You’ve absolutely done me with the playground picture. I remember finding half a ripped up Gastly from Base on my way into school one day, distinctly remember exactly where as well. Toys’R’Us pains me to this day. UK Pokémon childhood - I am glad to have lived it.
3 Likes
This Sentret (English) I pulled in a pack from an airshow in a field (UK glamour basically) where there were small vendors in addition to the planes and tractors on show. I still have it, and it has a line of pen down it where my little brother “tested” the pen we got that was made out of a twig.
2 Likes
Wailord ex is peak. I remember seeing it in Pokémon World magazine and being insanely jealous when my spoilt friend got one.
1 Like
The composition of this and many other Base cards was so distinctive, it definitely adds to them cementing in memory. Gastly for me too for that reason!
1 Like
I really yearn for those days. I know the past is often seen through rose-tinted spectacles, but I genuinely believe the UK was in far better place as a society pre-internet boom. My parents said recently that they felt happier during the 90s/early 2000s and were more optimistic than post-2010. I don’t believe it’s just simply a childhood vs adulthood development of cynicism.
5 Likes
Dude, snap. Snap-mf-snap. E4 aside, I detest the internet & the death of the high street.
I held out on getting a smart phone until I was 19ish, and ever since it’s been a massive thorn in my side. It’s the same for the people - everywhere you go, mindless phone looking. It diverts so much attention from people, it becomes important in their heads, and I can only surmise that that is a huge factor in why walking through UK towns nowadays is an exercise in caution and bitterness.
Everyone is so f’ing grumpy, miserable and self-centered.
Like you said, rose-tinted, but I distincly remember there being such a different vibe. 90s McDonalds for example was this weird little community centre of its own, when things like the Digimon toys release, I literally remember playing with other kids in there and trading and the parents all chatting and getting involved. That was the UK I grew up in and what it is now is pretty unwelcoming.
Pokémon takes me back there too and I can’t help but feel like it’s unhealthy sometimes, but yea. Yearning is the only way to describe it.
3 Likes
You’re gonna get me tearing-up in a min I swear. 100% agree with the people side of things too. Ah well. I suppose to dwell in the past is the death of the present. I guess the answer is to try our best to create a good experience for those around us now, despite the more depressing outlook. I don’t have kids myself, though who knows how the future looks. I’d definitely prioritise making a positive childhood experience for them as much as possible.
4 Likes
You won’t be crying alone brother. That’s the aim. :} Missus and I have already done away with our smart phones, and having a turbo-nerd of a father will mean any future offspring will be encouraged a lot to play and be imaginative. It scares me to think they may be swayed by peers, dragged down into iPad and skibidi, but that’s all part of growing up & it would be immoral to stifle that.
I think you said it really succinctly - it’s all we can really do, and look after our own!
3 Likes
That’s awesome you still have the card, memories like that is what it’s all about.
2 Likes
This was my most memorable pull from the Team Rocket pack. I still have my childhood cards preserved and to be honest, I don’t even know if they are legit. We had rampant issues with bootleg cards and nobody knew if any were real apart from the very obvious cases.
All I remember is having to save a couple of weeks of bus fare by walking everywhere to be able to gather enough funds to buy a few packs. I managed to pull both the Holo and the non Holo version of Dark Blastoise and it was super hype. When I look back on what got me started on Pokemon, it will always be the anime and this particular card.
Cheers!
9 Likes
Pulled it as a 4yr old in my mom’s old car
6 Likes
It’s probably the first memory I have of something being “ultra rare” and something we didn’t/ would never have in English. Obviously its not that rare by today’s standard but 8 year old me was heavily influenced by this card.
5 Likes
i was gonna say this as well haha. The dual type steel deltas were really something. When I think of delta species cards, these ones usually come to mind.
3 Likes
Base 2 Charizard, mainly because it was the 1st Pokemon holo I ever pulled:
Next is Base Squirtle, it just oozes nostalgia for me every time I see it and it was always a card I liked:
6 Likes
The first time I saw a Pokémon card it was my Reading Buddy in 3rd Grade showing me a Shadowless Base Set Machop; he had the Machoke in his stack as well.
9 Likes
Soooo by any chance do you know the guy above your post?
4 Likes
E series for sure. I think these cards the most memorable because my sister had them and I wanted them.
5 Likes
